Latest Project - Blue Green Cotton Lawn Shirt

My latest sewing project is a long-sleeve shirt out of a blue-green floral cotton lawn shirting fabric that I got from Fabric Mart a while ago.  It's a really nice fabric that was on sale (naturally); it has a very smooth feel and is very light.  I'm using version 5.0 of a shirt pattern I created in Pattern Master Tailor Made, and I think this is the right one.

I've got all the pieces cut - except the cuffs which I always cut after the sleeves are set and finished.  I've sewn together the back, yokes, and fronts. No left-front placket nor pockets.

I decided to add some contrast on the front facings and the inner yoke.  It's a striped cotton broadcloth, which also adds stability in those areas (no interfacing in the facings needed).

I'm also going to use the stripe in the under collar, inner collar band, inside cuffs, and inner sleeve plackets.  On the bias.

Company's coming this weekend, so I may not get back to this until early next week.  My goal is to have it finished (and, possibly one more shirt) before Labor Day weekend.

One thing that still amazes me about tailoring/sewing, is how big the pieces look before they're all sewn together.  Mind you, I'm no size XS, but, still...

What a gorgeous day!

What a lovely day here north of Boston.  Perfect temps, low humidity, breezy, and sunny.  Today is what makes summer in New England worth it (winter, that is).

Took Cosmo for a walk around town and noticed this sign in the window of a downtown empty building:

This is good.  Downtown Lynn needs more businesses.  They used to be on Boston Street, but I think they closed about a year ago.  According to their facebook page they are looking to open late September.  So, a new restaurant and bakery on Tremont and this.  Dare I say things are looking up for dear old Lynn?

Put my new back wheel on my bike and went for a bike ride around Nahant to enjoy this lovely day.  I really do like Nahant - it's so pretty and peaceful - but I don't think I could live there.  I can imagine it's dreadfully boring.  I'll stick with being close enough to ride to and around it.  Although there are beautiful homes there.  Here's a shot of 40 Steps beach from today:

I'm going to work on assembling version 4.0 of my shirt pattern.  I'm using Wild Ginger Software's Pattern Master, Tailor Made version.  I think I'm very close.  I've increased arm hole depth and added a bit more ease overall from version 3.0.  I'm feeling confident enough to use "real" fabric this time, and not $2 Salvation Army sheets.  First, though, to put the pattern together:

I'm thinking mexican for dinner.  I have some Trader Joe's veggie taquitos; along with some black beans and rice and chips and my homemade stone fruit salsa that all sounds delish!

Oh, and this year is the 20th anniversary of Hocus Pocus.  Enjoy the following - and I'm thinking of a costume for this year...

Welcome Back!

It's the ides of August - if that has any meaning - so I thought, why not get the blog going again.  Why not.  I can't promise anything profound, probably more like an online journal, stream-of-consciousness kind of thing.  It's most likely just narcissistic tendencies coming out:  LISTEN TO ME!

whatever


So, I just got and started reading Dark Buddhism about integrating Buddhist (Zen, specifically) and Objectivist philosophies.

I know, right!

But, I've thought that somehow these two philosophies complement each other - once you take out some of the nonsense of both.  I'm very interested to see how the author does this.

what else...

Still looking for a job right fit working position.  It's going OK, I guess.

I'm trying to perfect a basic shirt pattern for myself.  I'm on version 3.0 today.

Thinking about possible travel options for January - it will be my 45th, but Mark's 50th.

Oh, and Cosmo got sprayed by a skunk around 4:30 this morning.  Not pleasant.  At all.